Improvement in plaiting attachments for sewing-machines



0. M. CHAMBERLAIN.

Plaiting Attachment for Sewing-Machines.

Patented Aug. 6,1872.

INVENTOR %J 6 @itmsses.

UNITED, STATES PATENT QFFIGE.

ORANGE M. CHAMBERLAIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF ANDWILLIAM B. OARRINGTON, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN PLAITlNG ATTACHMENTS FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 130,189, dated August6, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ORANGE M. CHAMBER- LAIN, of the city and State ofNew York, have invented an Improvement in PlaitingAttachment forSewing-Machines; and the following is declared to be a correctdescription thereof.

This machine is for folding the cloth or fabric into plaits in itspassage to the sewing mech-' anism. Reciprocating plaiters have beenused for folding cloth in its passage to the pressing-rollers thatcrease the. fabric; but with woolen goods these plaiting-machines arevalueless, because the material does not remain in a folded conditionfor subsequent sewing. My machine folds the fabric and presents it tothe sewing-machine feed in such a manner that the plaits are held untilsecured by the stitching; and the mechanism is such that a fold or seamcan be passed over without interfering with the correctness of the foldor plait. A reciprocating and rocking plaiter is employed having an edgecomposed of a range of springs that press upon the cloth and carry itforward to make the fold or plait, and this plaiter is reciprocated byconnecting-rods from a rocking-shaft, attached by joints on the upperside of the plaiter, and the ends of the plaiter slide in guides; hence,as the rockingshaft acts to move the plaiter forward, it first pressesdown upon the fabric the edge formed of the range of springs, and theseaccommodate themselves to the thickness of the fabric or the variousportions thereof; and the furthermovem ent produces a fold in the fabricthat is carried forward to the point where the ordinary sewing andfeeding mechanism act to draw the fabric along and stitchthe same,either at right angles to the plait or diagonal thereto. Upon the returnmovement the connecting-rods tend to lift the feeding-edge off, thecloth as well as to draw back the plaiter. The rock shaft receives amovement every given number of stitches through the agency of aratchet-wheel, crank, and connection with the needle-bar, and these arevariable, so as to produce different widths of folds or plaits.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a vertical section, and Fig. 2 is a plan ofthe said plaiting mechanism.

The plaiter a is made with a row of springs, 2, at the feeding-edge;these accommodate inequalities iu the thickness of the material beingplaited; they may also have teeth upon their ends. These springs areplaced close together, so as to act with uniformity and produce astraight fold at their ends. The plaiter rocks upon gudgeons b that alsoslide in the guides c, and d are the connecting-rods to the levers o ofthe shaft 6. These rods are attached to the plaiter a by joints 3, thatare sufficient- I 1y above the plaiter to produce a rocking movement ofthe latter as the connecting-rods draw the plaiter back and forth, asaforesaid; and a spring friction device, 6,,applied at one of thegudgeons b, will insure this rocking motion, and there may be stopstolimit the extent thereof. The fabric passes beneath this plaiter a,between that and the bed h of the machine, or between the plaiter and abed that carries the mechanism of the apparatus, and is removable fromthe sewing-machine. A fold-holder, l, is attached to the bed by springsm, and upon this the ordinary presser-foot of the sewing-machine rests,and holds the same down with the necessary force, and the plaiterdelivers the edge of the fold beneath this holder I, where thesewing-machine feed will act upon the same, and the stitching iseffected by the needle in the ordinary manner. This fold-holdermay beomitted in sewing-machines where the presser-foot answers the purpose. Acrank-pin, a, is revolved by a ratchet-wheel, o, and this is moved by apawl or click, that derives motion from the needle bar or arm, in anyconvenient manner; and from a a connecting-rod, 8, passes to the lever tof the rockshaft. The parts are either changeable or adjustable, so thatthe crank it will be revolved while the desired number of stitches arebeing taken, and'each complete rotation a fold or plait is presented tothe needle, and by varying the length of leverage a wider or narrowerplait may be made. In this way a great variety of plaits can be made,and if the folding is at right angles to the direction of feed theplaits will run square across the fabric; but, by placing the apparatusdiagonally to the feed, and supplying the cloth accordingly, the foldswill be at an inclination to the edge of the goods and to the line ofsewing. The lever t is shown as an arm fastened to a bar extending fromone lever, c, of the rock-shaft raise and depress the feedingedge of thefold er in the act of reciprocating the same, substantially as setforth.

2. The rocking-shaft e, cranks v, ratchetwheel 0, and connections 8 d,arranged substantially as shown, in combination with the plaiter,substantially as set forth.

Signed by me this 12th day of June, A. D.

a O. M. CHAMBERLAIN.

Witnesses:

GEO. T. PINGKNEY, GHAs. H. SMITH.

